Death Note Novelization
by jem PM
Summary: A book adaptation of the manga and anime, Death Note. I fused the manga and the anime to make a novel...
1. Chapter 1 Boredom

This is my very first composition. While I was watching the Death Note anime, I was also reading the Death Note manga on my computer. Then I had this thought--maybe I could fuse the anime and the manga together... And the result is a novel! But what I have here is only a draft, and it was very amateurly made, so please excuse my grammar, I know it's not perfect... Ah, well, here it is, I hope you'll read it...

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Death note: the novelization 

Based on the manga by Tsugumi Ohba and Takeshi Obata

Original composition by: jempm

**Chapter 1: Boredom**

_ The streets of Kanto, Japan are always very busy. As the nation's largest populated region, the city of Kanto is always packed with people, day and night. These people came from all sorts of backgrounds—some are good and some are bad. It is said that in this world, people have heir own purposes, whether they are meant to be rich or poor, to be good or evil. _

This thought was pondered over by a seventeen-year old high school boy who is walking down the street on one sunny morning in Kanto, Japan. This teenager had the looks of both a child prodigy and an ordinary boy. He has an average height, a face of pride and confidence, moderate kept brown hair and round, black eyes. The boy's name is Light Yagami.

As Light approached his high school building, he passed a television news forecast. "Today at 11 am," a female anchor said, "at an apartment complex in Yokohama in the Kamagawa prefecture, a twenty-year old man was found dead and covered in blood. Police have ruled the killing to be a homicide…" Light walked on, and he passed another forecast. He stopped to watch. "Today in Shibuya, Tokyo, Naoki Tofuji, age 35, was arrested for suspicion of murdering his roommate, a 25 year old woman—"

Light uttered a deep sigh and continued walking. _Day after day, _he thought. _The same old thing happens over and over again. _He was lost again in his thoughts. _Why do crimes continue again and again? Will there be a day when the world will be free of evil?_ He then remembered the text he read this morning. _So bad people have their purpose to be evil… What a waste… This world would be better off without them… The evil only corrupt this world, causing innocent people to be harmed, or worse, causing good people to be corrupted as well… _

Light arrived at his building, and went to the upper floor where his next class will be. As he greeted his friends and sat down on his seat just beside the window, he looked outside and muttered a groan, "This world, is rotten…"

Unbeknownst to Light and all the people in the human world, there exists a hidden realm, a world where life ceased to exist. In this dark, barren wasteland of the Death world, a creature sat on a block of black rock, and he watched gloomily at his fellow creatures. This individual resembled a very tall human being, although his head and body refused to look like a normal human. The creature was tall, dark skinned and lean. He sported a spiky black hair and a dangling heart-shaped earpiece on one ear, and his yellow eyes and wide black mouth was way too big for an ordinary being. That is because this creature is a Death God, and the Death World is their dominion. Other Death Gods slept noisily, or strutted along the desolate land.

The tall Death God stood up, and walked. "I can begin to feel the boredom in this empty place," he said. "Is there anything to do in this damned realm?"

He stopped in his tracks. A new idea swept over him. He walked faster now. _There's nothing interesting here in the Death World, but there's certainly plenty of wonderful things below there, _he thought.

He arrived at a big transparent dome with a swirling tempest of light and wind below it. He stared and the bright orb for a long time, until the light and wind faded away. It revealed a vast expanse of streets and buildings. The Death God smiled, and he pulled from his bone-made shoulder bag, a black, nondescript notebook. He held it for a while, and then he tossed the notebook through the swirling orb, and it dissolved. The Death God watched as the notebook fall from the sky, slowly going down to the streets of the human world.

"Oops…" The Death God laughed.

"Mr. Yagami, are you listening?" The professor asked aloud, pulling Light away from his wandering mind. "Could you translate this for me please?"

Light stood up and read aloud. "You should follow God's teachings. If you do, the seas will remain quiet and the storm will not come…"

The professor looked pleased. "Good, Mr. Yagami. Take your seat."

Light sat down and looked at the window, clearly bored by the lesson. He stared outside for a very long time. _My English class sucks, _he mused to himself.

He was about to turn his attention back to the professor when something caught his eye. A black notebook was falling down from somewhere above.

Light did a double take. When he looked back outside, the notebook was already on the ground. _What was that? Where did it come from?_ Light wondered, clearly surprised by what he saw.

The loud ring of the school bell startled Light. It was dismissal time. He put his things inside his bag and headed for the door.

As Light went outside the building and passed the grounds, he remembered the falling notebook. _I saw it fall somewhere here,_ he thought. He looked around for a long time. Then he saw it. The black notebook settled itself on the middle of the grassy grounds. Its black appearance made the notebook stand out against the green grass, making it almost impossible not to notice. Light wondered why people didn't see the notebook and get it. Curiosity swept over him like a cold breeze. He couldn't take off his eyes on the notebook. It was as if the notebook was summoning, begging for him to come and get it.

Light moved towards the notebook and picked it up. It was a plain, ordinary black notebook. He flipped it over to see the front cover. It simply has two words imprinted on it. DEATH NOTE.

"Death note?" Light pronounced the title. He smiled and turned the page. On the back of the front cover was a handwritten guide entitled "How to use it." It was all written in English.

"The human whose name is written on this note shall die…"

Light chuckled. _Ridiculous,_ he thought. _Maybe some student made this… But the cover looks neat and elegant, maybe it was bought from a joke shop?_ He shook his head and dropped the notebook to where he found it. He walked slowly. _This is sick… Why do people like that crap? This is worse than those chain letters…_ He smiled at the thought. Just a few days ago Light had received a mail that said his family will die if he doesn't forward the mail to twenty more people. He just smirked and deleted the message. Ever since he was a kid, he never once believed in superstitions or paranormals. He thought it was absurd.

But something was nagging his mind. _But why did it fall from the sky? Where did it come from?_ From the moment he saw the notebook fall, he sensed something was different about it. He looked back on the spot where he found the notebook. Nobody even glanced on it. Light strangely thought that maybe he was the only one who can see the notebook. _Impossible,_ he thought. He observed the notebook for a while. Even though the notebook was clearly visible, nobody was paying attention on it…

Light sighed and picked up the Death Note.

"I'm home," Light announced to no one as he entered their two-storey house. He went directly to his room, settled himself on his desk and began reading the notebook.

"How to use it," he began. "The human whose name is written on his note shall die."

"This note will not take effect unless the writer has the person's face in their mind while writing his/her name. Therefore, people sharing the same name will not be affected."

"If the cause of death is written within 40 seconds of writing the person's name, it will happen."

"If the cause of death is not specified, the person will simply die of heart attack."

"After writing the cause of death, details of the death should be written in the next 6 minutes and 40 seconds."

Light laughed. "So you can make the person die peacefully or make them suffer." He was somehow impressed. "It's surprising that someone would put so much effort into a prank like this." He placed the notebook on top of his table and retired on his bed. He closed his eyes. _The maker of this note sure has some_ _impressive imagination, _he mused. _Write the name… And then die just like that?_ He stared at the ceiling for a long time.

He sat up suddenly. He went over to his desk and opened the notebook. He pulled out a pen from his desk and aimed it at the note. He was about to think a name to write when a horrible thought crossed his mind._Wait… If it actually does work, would that make me a killer? No… there's no way this note would work, _he considered. Without standing up, he turned on his television which sat also on his desk. He flipped channels until he stopped at a station where a live footage was taking place.

The anchorman was announcing, "—killer who indiscriminately killed six people yesterday in Shinjuku's Hanka district is still located up in the preschool with the teacher and seven children as hostages…" superimposed on the screen was an aerial footage of the school campus, with armed policemen standing by at its gates. _A live hostage taking, eh? Maybe I can use this, _Light said to himself. The announcer continued talking, "—the suspect is known as Otoharada Kurou, 42 years old and unemployed. Last night, he—" the screen changed, and it showed a portrait of the suspect, complete with its full name.

_ From the looks of this guy, you can already tell he's no good,_ Light thought. _Wait, maybe I can use this… _He glanced at his desk watch. It was only five seconds before 6:22. _Hey, why am I taking this damn notebook seriously? _Light thought, scowling as he wrote the fourteen-lettered name.

_ Otoharada Korou_

Light glimpsed at his digital watch. _Exactly 6:23:02… Death after 40 seconds, right? We'll see…_

6:23:39…

6:23:40…

6:23:41…

6:23:42…

"Will the police be able to resolve this crisis?" A female reporter was asking the announcer. "I hope so, for the sake of the children," the announcer replied.

_ Nothing happened… Jeez, what a waste of time, _Light frowned as he stood up, grabbing the remote control. He was about to turn the TV off when—

"OH! THE HOSTAGES ARE COMING OUT!" The announcer bellowed. Light froze on the spot. _What the—_

"Everyone seems fine, no one is hurt! And now we can see the police storming the school, will they make the arrest?" the announcer was still shouting. Light's round eyes never left the television screen. The television showed the police running to the school. A few moments passed, and the police came out of the building.

The announcer looked around. "Wait, I don't see the suspect…" Then he suddenly placed his finger on his ear, his face looking confused. He was clearly listening to his sources from his earphone. Then he looked momentarily surprised.

_ What the hell is going on? _Light thought wildly as he watched the screen. _Oh no, could it be that—_

The announcer's loud voice rang through the television. "Ladies and gentlemen, this just in! We just got word that the criminal has died! They are saying the suspect is dead!"

Light gasped aloud. The words echoed through his mind. "D-dead?" was all he managed to say. His mind was racing. He glanced uneasily at the Death Note sitting on his desk.

_ The person whose name is written on this note shall die… _The phrase kept ringing in Light's ears. "I-impossible!" Then he listened again at the reporter.

"The police are insisting that they did not fire any shots. According to one hostage, the suspect suddenly seized his chest and collapsed to the ground!"

_ Collapsed… A Heart attack… _

_ The Death Note worked!_ Light's own heart was hammering wildly. Then his mind told him against it. "N-no, it's a c-coincidence!" he stammered aloud. _It has to be!_

"Light?" a voice called from downstairs. It was his mother. Light jumped at the sound of her mother's voice. _I thought no one's inside a while ago…_

"It's nearly 6:30 in the evening, you'll be late for your cram school, and you have your prep course tonight, right?" Mrs. Sachiko Yagami called again.

Light cleared his throat. He was still shaking. "Uh, yeah mom. I was just getting ready to go…"

_ Death Note… If this is real, I should test it one more time! _He put the Death Note inside his bag.

_ Someone… Someone it doesn't matter to kill… No, someone that deserves to die, _Light pondered as he made his way to his night class. His mind was racing as he walked.

_ So… Will it be another criminal? No, if it was someone too famous, the news may be kept secret for a while… _Light made it to the classroom and sat quietly. He just needed to endure a couple of hours, and then he can test the Death note again. _I need the results immediately!_

"Hey Ryochin!" a voice nearby squawked. It came from a mean-looking boy in front of Light. He was persecuting his seatmate. Light watched them.

"W-what is it, Sudou?"

"Could you lend me some money? Maybe 2,000 yen will do," Sudou whispered.

"W-hat? Again?" murmured Ryochin, intimidated by Sudou's piercing eyes. He opened his wallet and handed to Sudou a thick stack of bills. Sudou's eyes glinted. He grinned and pinched his friend in front of him. "Hey, I'll treat you to the arcade tonight!" His friend sniggered. Ryochin watched them fearfully.

_ Sudou. Should I try to kill him? _Light thought. _No, it shouldn't be someone close to me… Maybe I shouldn't worry anyway, nobody will even care if people like him dies…_

A flying chalk hit Light on his forehead. He faced in front to see his professor staring at him.

"Hey, nationally top-ranked Light Yagami! Don't space out! We're counting on you to make us look good! Pay attention!"

Light sighed. "Oh, yes sir. I'm sorry, hehe."

Night at Kantou, Japan is always like daytime, only darker. Even after dark, many people go out to shop, hang out or to study, like Light. After his class, he walked around and surveyed the people.

"Hey, Maki! Wanna go drinking with some hot college boys at 10?"

"Sure, sure!" Light heard three girls talking animatedly.

"Damn, she said she'll be here by eight, where's my fucking mom!" He heard a fat guy complaining loudly.

_ Jeez… Looking at these people… I start to think the world would be better off without them, _Light said to himself as he passed by them.

A loud rumble of three motorcycles broke the peaceful aura of the street. They stopped at a young teenage lady as she was getting out of a convenience store. The three guys circled her.

"Hey miss beautiful! Wanna come hang with us?" A large goon with large front teeth asked her loudly.

"Whoa, Taku, you got a gorgeous one tonight!" His companion guffawed.

The frightened lady recoiled, and the guy called Taku drawled on. "The name's Shibuimaru Takuo, by the way. But all my friends call me Shibutaku! Cute eh?"

"Come on, sexy. How about it?" The other guy said.

"I-I'm s-sorry," the girl stammered, shaking with fear.

"Ouch, Taku. Rejected as always!" The two thugs chortled.

Light entered the convenience store. He went into the magazine section, which is directly located at the window of the store. He can see clearly the hooligans as they continued to harass the poor girl. Light opened his bag and pulled out the Death Note. He looked at the guy called Taku through the store window, and he began to write.

_ Shibuimaru Takuo Motorcycle Accident_

_ Shibumaru Taku Motorcycle Accident_

_ Shibuimaru Taku Motorcycle Accident_

_ Shibumaru Takuo Motorcycle Accident_

_ Shibuimarou Taku Motorcycle Accident_

_ Shibuimarou Takuo Motorcycle Accident_

_ Shibumarou Taku Motorcycle Accident_

_ Shibumarou Takuo Motorcycle Accident_

_ You have no escape from these variations of your name,_ Light thought._Your name should be in here… _

_ Now, what will happen?_

"Hey, hey! Where are you goin' my lady?" Taku yelled as the girl escaped from his grasp and ran to the other side of the road. His motorcycle roared to life, and he accelerated after the girl. Taku was on the middle of the road when—

"TAKU, WATCH OUT!"

The deafening sound of crunching metal echoed through the night. Pieces of metal flew everywhere. A large pickup truck hammered the side of Taku's motorcycle, where it was disintegrated instantly. Shouts followed, and the commotion began to build up. Shibuimaru Taku rolled face down on the pavement, and he moved no more. On the street, blood began to flow. The horrified girl ran as fast as he could away from the accident.

Light remained rooted on the spot, his face as pale as chalk and his eyes wide with shock. He could not speak, but his mind was shouting.

_ THIS… PROVES IT! THE DEATH NOTE, IS REAL!_

"Oh, no. Taku!"

"Damn, what the hell was he thinking?"

"Taku's dead!"

Light burst out of the store and ran away as fast as he could.

Miles away from Light and the human world, three Death Gods were playing.

"Look at that! Two sideway skulls! I win again!" A bony Death God with a large eyepiece laughed.

"Damn it. I knew I'll lose in the end," a wolf-skulled Death God scratched his head. He turned to the other Death God, a tall, black and skinny one.

"Hey, Ryuk. Wanna join us? Come and play sometime, man."

The Death God called Ryuk shook his head. "No thanks, I'll pass."

The wolf-skulled Death God surveyed Ryuk. "You look down today, Ryuk. What's your problem?"

Ryuk sighed. "I lost my Death Note."

The two Death Gods laughed in unison. "How clumsy can you get?" The bony Death God chuckled at him.

The wolf-skulled Death God glanced at Ryuk's bag. A black, nondescript notebook was there.

"But there's your Death Note," he said, pointing at his bag. "Why do you look so—" Then he remembered something. "Say, weren't you the one who stole the boss's Death Note? That's why you have two notes, right?"

Ryuk nodded. He tricked the King of the Death Gods to obtain a second Death Note. Normal Death Gods usually had only one.

The spectacled Death God asked him. "So you're saying that you lost the boss's Death Note? The one that the pages never runs out? Jeez, how irresponsible."

The wolf-skulled Death God turned to Ryuk. "So, do you know where you lost it?"

Ryuk looked at him in the eye and said, "I dropped it on the human world."

The two Death Gods gasped aloud.

"I… I have k-killed t-two people…" Light spluttered as he stumbled down a dark alleyway. It was raining mildly, and Light was shivering from head to foot. It was not because of the cold rain, but of the terror and shock that was emanating from inside him. Every part of his body was shaking madly.

"I've k-killed two p-people!" He shouted this time, though nobody heard him. He stopped in his tracks and knelt down in agony,

_ It's life, _he thought. _It can't be so easy… Do I really have the right to punish others? What should I do?_

He pulled the Death Note again from his bag. He stared at it for a long time, holding it firmly with two hands. The sleek black cover felt so oddly normal. No matter how he looked at it, the notebook resembled nothing but a plain, ordinary black note. _Only that it can kill people, _he thought horribly. He looked again at the names he had written. The images came back inside his head in horrid detail.

_ The first criminal… Who cares if he died?_

_ But what about the second one? He didn't deserve death…_

A horrible pang of guilt raked his whole body, and he shivered uncontrollably. Every part of his body ached, and he closed his eyes. Then suddenly, a new wave of thoughts crept inside his mind. It made his body relax for a while.

_ No, wait. This is what I've been thinking all along!_

_ This world is rotten! The rotten should die!_

_ Start looking around you and all you see are people the world would be better off without!_

A new sparkle of determination glinted in Light's eyes.

_ I can do this, with this notebook! The only problem is my mind… I killed only two people, and I'm already like this… Of course, taking lives isn't easy… Can I stand it? Should I quit?_

_ No, I can't quit! Even if it costs me my mind and life… Someone has to do it!_

_ This world needs to be cleansed!_

_ Suppose that somebody else picked up the Death Note, could they rid he world of evil? No, they'd probably use it for themselves… _

_ But I can do it…_

_ No…_

_ I'm the only one who can do it!_

Light's whole body became relaxed now. A new kind of willpower fueled every part of his body. He suddenly stood up straight, his eyes very different from before. A shadow of confidence and strength was etched on the very outlines of his face. Then he suddenly smiled for the first time since he first wrote a name in the notebook.

"I'll do it!"

"I'LL USE THE DEATH NOTE, AND CHANGE THE WORLD!"

"It's been five days," Ryuk said to no one in particular as he strutted along the barren land of the Death World. "Time to go check it out."

He walked for a very long time, until he arrived at a large cliff with a very long staircase spiraling down. Ryuk drew a breath and began his descent.

The long stairs came to a halt at a large, swirling deep trench. Ryuk stood at the end of the stairs. "Looks like I'm gonna have to fly."

He screwed up his eyes, looking as though he was concentrating very hard on something. Then suddenly, great black wings erupted from his back. He began to flap them wildly. Then he plunged himself onto the swirling cliff, and he vanished.

Ryuk opened his eyes. He was hovering just beside the top of a tall TV Tower. It was raining heavily. He flapped his wings and tore through the rainy night. From the one notebook lost in the human world by Ryuk the Death God, the grand battle between the two chosen ones begins.

"Welcome home! You're early today, Light!" his mom greeted him.

"Yeah," responded Light, "good evening, mom."

Mrs. Yagami held up her hands, as if she was expecting something from Light. "Well?" she asked.

Light stared at her for a moment, then he understood. "Oh, yeah. The results of the national practice exam." He handed his mother a neat set of papers.

"Oh!" Mrs. Yagami exclaimed, "you ranked first again! Good job Light!" she patted her son on the back.

"Yup, something like that," replied a slightly embarrassed Light. "It's just a mock exam though. Well I'm going to study in my room…" he said as he climbed upstairs.

"Sure," said Mrs. Yagami, smiling. "Oh, Light? Is there anything you want? Just say something."

"No, nothing in particular, mom," he called from behind his bedroom door. He fully closed his door, locked it, and said to himself with a knowing smile,

_ I already have what I want…_

He opened his desktop drawer and pulled out a black notebook. He opened it and stared on whatever was written down on it. Then he laughed softly.

"Looks like you're enjoying it," a cold voice emanated from his back.

Light jumped and looked behind, surprised. It only took one second for him to register what he was looking at. A tall, dark monster was staring back at him. Light screamed and fell back from his chair, hitting his head on the wall, momentarily dazed. He looked again at the horrible apparition. He gasped aloud.

"Why are you so surprised?" the monster said, "I'm Ryuk, the Death God who owned that Death Note. It seems to me like you've realized that it's not a normal notebook," Ryuk chortled.

Light was still stunned, clearly lost for words. He forced himself to calm down. He took a deep breath.

"A D-death God?" he lifted himself off the ground. He tried to stand up straight, though his legs were shaking slightly. He looked at Ryuk, trying to look like undaunted.

"I'm not surprised to see you, Ryuk," he began.

"In fact, based from what I've read on your Death Note, I've been waiting for you, Ryuk."

Ryuk fell silent.

"So even a Death God has arrived, how nice. I've already accepted that the Death Note is real, but seeing things for myself gives me more confidence in my actions," Light smiled. He picked up the Death Note.

"Take a look at this, Ryuk," he said, shoving the notebook open to Ryuk.

Ryuk saw the contents and was immediately shocked. The first two pages of the notebook were filled completely from top to bottom with slightly miniscule writing. He turned to Light with wide eyes.

"This is amazing!" he exclaimed, "I am the one surprised! I've heard of many stories of Death Notes falling to the human world but, you're the first one to do this much in only five days!"

Ryuk stared at Light's cold eyes. "A normal person would be frighten—"

"No. I'm prepared, Ryuk." Light said boldly. "I've used a notebook of a Death God, and now a Death God has come…" He looked at Ryuk apprehensively. "Now what? Are you going to take my soul now?"

Ryuk was taken aback. He looked hurt. "Take your soul? Why would I? Is that really the impression of us by humans like you?" Ryuk smiled, "I won't do anything to you."

Light gaped at him, slightly surprised.

"Once the Death Note lands on human ground," Ryuk continued, "it belongs now to that land, and whoever picks it up becomes its owner. The note is yours now."

"M-mine?"

Ryuk shrugged. "If you don't want it, then give it to another human. If you do that, I'll be obliged to erase all your memories concerning the Death Note. And," he motioned outside, "because you touched my Death Note, only you can see and hear me. The Death Note is the bond between a human like you and a Death God like me."

"Bond?" Light's head was spinning. "S-so, there's really no price for using the Death Note?" he asked.

"Well, one could say," Ryuk said, "the torment and stress that only a human can experience when using the notebook is the price." Ryuk's eyes flashed. "And when you die, it'll be me who will write your name in my Death Note," Ryuk patted his bag, with a black notebook inside it. "And," Ryuk's eyes now focusing on Light, "don't think that a human who uses the Death Note gets to go to heaven or hell." He grinned nastily.

The loud knock on the door made Light jump slightly. His heart skipped a bit. He glanced uneasily at Ryuk.

"It'll be fine, open it," Ryuk said.

Light put back the note in his desk drawer and opened the door. His mother greeted him with a smile. He held a basket of apples.

"Our neighbor brought us some apples," Mrs. Yagami said. Light took it with a nervous smile.

"Thanks."

Mrs. Yagami looked at his room. "Why is it so dark in here? You'll hurt your eyes," Light's mom frowned at him.

"Right, sorry for that. Thanks for the apples," he said as he closed the door and locked it once more.

"I told you she can't see me," Ryuk laughed

Light set the basket on his desk and turned to Ryuk. "One more thing, why did you choose me?"

Ryuk's eyes widened in surprise, and he laughed aloud. "I didn't choose you! What, you thought I chose you because you were so smart or something?" Ryuk snorted. "Don't be so full of yourself. I only dropped the notebook. It just happened to fall there, and you just happened to pick it up. That is why I wrote the instructions in the most popular language in the world, which is English, so anybody could understand it."

Light narrowed his eyes suspiciously. "Based from what you've said, you must have dropped the Death Note on purpose!" he pulled the notebook out. "Why did you drop it?"

Ryuk smirked. "You really want to know? Okay I'll tell you…" He locked eyes with Light.

"Because I was bored…"

Light stared at him. "B-bored?"

Ryuk nodded. "Yes. This may sound strange coming from a Death God, but… I just didn't feel alive."

Light said nothing. Ryuk grabbed an apple and took a big bite. _Yummy_, he mused.

"Being a Death God, these days are so boring. All we do there in the Death World is to nap or to gamble. If they see you scribbling human names, they'll laugh at you for working so hard. Killing humans while up there in the Death Realm isn't fun at all. I figured it would be more fun to be down here," Ryuk added while taking another apple._Wow, apples from the human world are juicier compared to apples up there._

Ryuk took the notebook from Light. "You sure have written down a lot of names," Ryuk said, reading the names. "But besides the motorcycle accident, you didn't write anymore causes of death."

Light smiled. "If you don't write the cause of death, then it's a heart attack by default," he said, "that's the best thing about the Death Note, Ryuk."

"Huh? Why is that?" Ryuk said, confused.

Light was smiling widely now. "Can't you see it, Ryuk? I'm writing down all the names of the most vicious criminals and lowering the amount of evil in the world," he was talking fast now, "and they all die of a heart attack. Even an idiot will realize that _evil people are being eliminated one by one_. "

"I'm going to make the world aware of my existence! That someone is passing down judgment!" Light was shouting now. Ryuk stared at him.

"But why are you doing this?"

"I… was also bored," Light murmured. "Obviously I didn't believe it at first. But that notebook has a power that makes you want to try it."

"I see," Ryuk said.

"I've had trouble sleeping at night, and I've lost 4 kg in these 5 days," Light paused looking at the window, "even so, to clean the earth, I continued writing the names of all major criminals. Soon, nobody will be able to do evil. The world will advance in the right direction. And while those that do evil will die of a heart attack, I can erase other useless people through illnesses."

"Then the world will start to become a better place. One day people will realize that doing evil will get them killed. And I will build a world of only kind-hearted people I accept!"

Ryuk scowled. "Then you'll be the only evil person left…"

Light glared at him. "What are you talking about, Ryuk?" A smile crossed his lips. "I'm a serious, straight A honor student. You could say I'm Japan's number one student…" Light closed his eyes. "And I…"

"I WILL BE THE GOD OF THIS NEW WORLD!"

Ryuk stepped back. His eyes widened as he saw a new personality in Light's round eyes. He clenched his fists in a mixture of amusement and annoyance.

_ I was right… Humans are really… Interesting!_


	2. Chapter 2 L

Chapter 2: L

Meanwhile, in another country miles away from Kantou, a conference was starting.

"That's fifty-two we know of from just this week!" a delegate was saying rapidly. "All are heart attacks!"

"All of them are most wanted or already imprisoned criminals!"

"We should assume many others are dead that we haven't confirmed yet!"

The conference was taking place inside a huge auditorium. The delegates from many countries are all seated in a coliseum-type arrangement, all of them facing a white projector screen in front of a stage. The screen depicted the logo of the International Crime Police Organization, a large branch of the Interpol. The delegates were still shouting.

"Well, these people should have died anyways!" an American said.

"Who said that thing?" argued another with a thick British accent. "Even if they are criminals on death row, killing them is still a crime!"

A fat, mustached guy asked with an extremely unconvinced tone, "But you can't be so sure that it's murder, right?"

"Are you mad? What else could it be?" the Englishman shouted angrily, "There's no way over one hundred people could coincidentally die from heart attacks!"

"It's utterly impossible to organize a mass murder of this scale and frequency!" a fellow American agreed with him.

"Well, we think that a large syndicate is responsible for these planned killings," a representative from another group suggested.

"A large syndicate," a man piped, "like the FBI or the CIA?"

"WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU SAYING" came the uproar from the United States delegates.

"Stop joking around!"

"These criminals' death can keep up the police's reputation—"

"This isn't about reputation! This will be a problem if criminals die before their sentenced period! First, we should concentrate on finding out if this really is a mass murder—"

Most of the men looked skeptic now. "But didn't all forensic reports say 'heart attack of unknown origin'?"

"This is bizarre! Such an ambiguous death doesn't mean anything to us—"

One of the older delegates stood up and hushed the others down. He spoke loudly on his microphone. "This settles it. We have no choice but to call on L to help us solve this case."

Everyone fell silent, as if someone extinguished the sounds. A Japanese delegate looked at his superior, looking confused.

"Um, chief? What do they mean when they said 'L'?"

The Japanese chief of police looked at his companion and said, "Oh, I forgot this is your first Interpol meeting, Matsuda. Well…" The chief stared at the man's eye.

"L is someone whose name, face, identity and whereabouts are a secret. But he is the best detective in the world. He can solve any case, and he never failed once," the chief said with an air of admiration.

"Really, chief?" Matsuda asked in amazement.

"You could call him a 'private investigator' of sorts," the chief continued. "But anyway, we have absolutely no clue of who he is. Of all the difficult cases that he's solved, he's always keeping himself in the deepest secrecy, always in the shadows. But he's never failed a case yet," the chief said. "Ever."

Matsuda stared at his chief, looking impressed. But the conference room became noisy again. Angry delegates began shouting again.

"But that L is very stubborn! He only takes cases that he likes and difficult cases that interest him!"

"That's right!" his mate exclaimed. "Remember the time when L refused to help us on one difficult case just because he's run out of sweetened—"

"Stubbornness aside, how can we even contact this L guy?" the fat guy interrupted.

"Gentlemen, L is already working on the case!"

A deep voice boomed through the chaos. A huge man wearing black coveralls with a long black coat loomed through the stage below them. His face was concealed very properly, wearing a black cloth mask and a deep black sunglass. He walked to the center of the stage with an aura of rigidness and authority. He turned to the sea of stunned delegates and spoke again.

"Do not fret. L is currently on this case as we speak"

"W-Watari!" the Japanese chief exclaimed.

"Huh? Watari? Is he another Japanese delegate?" Matsuda asked.

"No, but he's the only contact we have with L. We call Watari if we want L to help us with a case. Still, I doubt it if Watari knows L's identity. He's just the only person whom L entrusts his contact information," the chief finally said.

Ripples of muttering broke the silence again as utility men carried a table at the center of the stage. Watari then revealed a briefcase in his hand. He opened it and produced a shiny white laptop which he placed on the table. He then connected some wires to the back of the laptop. He turned to the people again.

"Silence please. I will now connect you to L."

Everyone sat in anticipation as Watari opened the laptop screen. The screen showed an ornate, Old English writing of the letter L imposed on a white background. Then immediately, the big screen in front all of them, showing the logo of the ICPO, synchronized with the laptop screen, showing a giant Old English lettering of L instead. Everyone stared, without making a sound.

The voice emanating from the surround sound of the conference room was indistinguishable. It was scratchy, metallic and modified. It spoke in a high, cold, robotic voice that resonated through the entire room. Everyone held their breaths to listen.

"Greetings to everyone at the ICPO. I am L."

"Quite the hard worker, aren't you Light?" Ryuk drawled as he munched an apple. Yagami Light was writing feverishly on a black, nondescript notebook. Even though he looked very tired, his eyes misted with energy as he wrote.

"There's no time to waste, Ryuk," Ryuk muttered without looking up. "I can only write in the Death Note from after school until I go to bed. I have to stay at the top of the class. I can't sleep in school, and I still need to study at home and go to my cram school at night."

Ryuk fell silent.

"And sleep deprivation is my enemy. It will diminish my health and my mental capacity. Still, no matter what, I need to create a world without evil. But there isn't enough time…" Light managed a deep sigh.

"This is the biggest and the most difficult case that I have ever seen in my life," the voice of L seemed to heighten at every syllable of his words. "An unforgivable and horrific mass murder!"

Silence.

"In order to solve this case, I would like to ask all of you in the ICPO, to offer me your complete and undivided cooperation on this."

Mutterings broke the silence. It continued for a long time until the ICPO leader finally said in his microphone.

"All right, we agree."

"Thank you very much. But in my first operation, I would like to request the aid of the Japanese Police Force," L declared loudly.

A loud commotion arose from where the Japanese delegates were sitting.

"Why the Japanese police?" the chief demanded.

The voice paused for a while, and finally said, "I don't know for sure if the suspect is a lone individual or a huge group, but judging from the evidence that I uncovered, that suspect is most probably Japanese, or living in Japan," L replied through the raised voices.

"And what evidence is that?"

L's voice sounded more amused now. "I'll show it to you in a showdown that I'll be organizing. In any case, I hope that the force can be moved to Japan. Thank you."

Then the screen went blank. Chaotic voices exploded once more.

The Japanese chief sat quietly, completely flabbergasted. _A showdown?_

Back in Japan, a group of teenage boys were walking down a neighborhood.

"You just can't take your eyes off the news lately now, huh?"

"Yeah!"

"It's so cool! All the bad people are dropping dead one after the other!"

"Yeah! Even if it is kind of scary, it's also kind of, refreshing!"

They all burst out laughing. Light sniggered, looking amused.

"With this, it's scary to misbehave now, huh?" Light asked.

"Um, I'm a little scared now, because I shoplifted once in elementary school!"

"Do you think the police are behind it?"

"No way! The police can't do something like this! You'd have to be some sort of a powerful god!"

They laughed again. Ryuk watched them and shook his head. The boys finally reached Light's house. They waved goodbye.

"See ya tomorrow!"

"Yeah!"

"Don't make trouble!"

Ryuk followed Light as they made their way up to his room upstairs. He said in a bored drawl, "You seem to be in a good mood today, Light."

Light stopped at his door. He turned his lever-type doorknob upwards. He looked oddly satisfied and turned the knob downwards. The door swung open and looked at Ryuk. A piece of paper fluttered to the floor.

"Not really, Ryuk." Light said as he pulled something out of the door hinge and flipped his door lock.

"It's because I leave the Death Note at home all day."

He sat on a chair, opened his desk and drew the notebook out. "I get too worried at school when I leave this here at home," he sighed.

Light flipped a switch on his personal computer. The screen monitor blared to life. He typed something for a while, and then he opened his internet browser.

"Hey Ryuk! Take a look at this," Light said, beckoning Ryuk closer.

Ryuk glanced at the monitor.

The webpage showed a logo of an intricately designed heart, painted black and white, and adorned with little wings on both sides on a black background.

"The legend of the savior Kira," Ryuk stated the title aloud.

_Criminals worldwide dying one after another…_

_Because Kira is among us again…_

_He is the one who will tolerate no wickedness…_

_Our message from hell…_

_Only those who believe in his existence and return…_

_May enter this site…_

Light looked amused upon reading the text and clicked the 'enter' button. "These sorts of website are already popping up." He looked again at the title.

"Kira… It's probably from the English word 'killer'. I don't know if I like the sound of that, but I guess I'm now Kira to the whole world."

Ryuk laughed. "Well, mister Kira, what do you think of this?"

"There's something you should know about people, Ryuk," Light started. "If you raise a question such as 'is it alright to kill bad people?' people would pretend to be righteous and say something like 'no, killing is wrong, even if they are evil'.

Ryuk listened quietly.

"Of course that's what people would say," Light continued. "People have to put up that sort of impression in public. But _here_ is where their hearts truly lie," he pointed to the monitor. "People are too afraid to admit that I exist in public, but in the World Wide Web, where all of the people were anonymous, Kira is everywhere. If you search for Kira, you'll get tons of similar sites like this one."

"This means that the world already felt _my _existence. Those with clear consciences cheer for Kira in their minds, while those who are guilty of their crimes tremble in fear, terrified that the hand of God will reach them."

Light turned his computer off and switched the television on.

_This is good. Everything is going according to plan. Let's see if the media has the guts to mention me in their news, _he thought as he flipped channels.

But he sensed there was something strange. It seemed all the stations were broadcasting a single video. Light stopped pressing the remote.

The screen showed a prim looking man sitting behind a desk on a white background. A reporter was currently giving the introduction.

"—we interrupt your programming to bring you an important message from the ICPO. This broadcast is live via satellite and currently being shown all over the world. Japanese translation is provided by translator Yoshio Anderson—"

_Translator? This guy's not Japanese?_ Light wondered as he stared at the man on the television. He noticed a plaque on the man's desk, stating his name: Lind L. Tailor. The man spoke in a high, cold voice, and then his words were immediately drowned by the Japanese voice-over.

"I am the one who controls the police force of the world, Lind L. Tailor, Also known as L."

National Police Agency, the national police organization of Japan has their largest force in the city of Kantou. Their main building and headquarters is also located on downtown Kantou region, the largest city of Japan. Inside the headquarters, the Japanese cops stopped their work to watch a live television broadcast. In another room, the Japanese chief of police sat behind his desk, quietly watching the television.

"Close the door, Mr. Aizawa," the chief ordered.

The man called Aizawa obeyed, shutting the door close. There was a sign on the door, which proclaimed the words: Criminal Serial Murders Special Investigative Force – Japan HQ.

"So this is the famous detective L," Matsuda said aloud. "But didn't he say that he'd never shown his face to the public? Is he already finished with the case?"

"This means that L is real serious on this," replied the chief. His eyes never left the television screen. _All right, L. We have done everything you've asked of us. What are you going to do now?_

"Does this mean that the showdown he was talking about already started?" Matsuda asked.

Light straightened up and gasped. _W-who is this guy?_ He thought madly. The man called Lind L. Tailor continued speaking.

"To the perpetrator of these serial murders, known as Kira by the public, you have committed the most abominable act in history. I will personally make sure that you will be stopped. I will catch you at any cost," he said in a straight, clear voice.

Ryuk leaned over to watch. "At any cost, he said." he laughed.

Light narrowed his eyes and grinned. "You fool! How can you possibly catch me?" he pulled the Death Note and waved it at the television. "I have the Death Note! If you don't have this notebook, you have nothing on me! I cannot be caught!"

Light was shouting now, his voice shaky with laughter. _Hmm, I was expecting the law to do something like this… it seems that I cannot be possibly ignored…_

L was still speaking, and Light listened. "Kira, I think I have a pretty good idea of what you are trying to do and why you're doing it. But what you are doing right now,"

He paused for a second. Then he said something with such force and contempt in his voice that made Light's blood rise.

"Is EVIL!"

Light's eyes were immediately reduced into slits. The words continued to pierce his ears, torturing him from within. Hatred rose in his body.

"E-evil, you say?" his voice shaking with fury. "Me? Evil?"

He stood up and shouted with anger. "I am Justice! I am the god placed here to save the weak and create a perfect world!"

Light slammed the Death Note open and seized a ballpoint. His hands were shaking. "And those who oppose that god," he said with a manic glint on his eyes, "They are evil! You are evil!"

Light began writing, every stroke laced with cold fury. His eyes shone with rage.

_Lind L. Tailor_

Then he began to smile, like a crazed being. "You're too stupid, L. Too stupid. If you were just a little smarter," he glanced at the name plaque, "or a little discreet, we could have had some more fun." Light's face twisted into an ugly scowl. He blocked the voice that was coming from the television speaker. He could only hear his mind.

_Let the world see what happens when you go against Kira, Mr. L… _His eyes shot down to his wristwatch. He smirked. _Seven more seconds, _he thought as he began his countdown of death.

"Five, four, three, two, one…"

Lind L. Tailor's eyes were widened in shock. His face contorted in an ugly grimace, every facial lines spelling pain and agony. Both of his hands shot up to his chest. He heaved and panted for a while, his eyes on the camera, silently pleading for help. Then his head fell down face first on the desk, not moving at all.

Light felt his own heart unknot. His eyes formed an evil stare at the television screen as muscular guards lifted the lifeless form of L away from the camera. Then Light laughed diabolically.

"Hahaha! So, what now, L? Say something! Catch me now!"

But he was in no way prepared for what happened next.

The television screen suddenly changed. It became an ornate lettering of the letter L on a white background. Light's heart stopped beating. _What the—_

Then suddenly, a chilling, metallic voice spoke through the silence of Light's room.

"Unbelievable!"

The color drained from Light's face. He was paralyzed, unable to speak.

"I did this on the off-chance that you would kill _me,_" the robotic voice croaked once more. "I did not believe it at first, but… Kira, you can kill without ever laying a finger on them?"

Light was paler now, aghast. The voice continued speaking.

"So it's true after all. If I hadn't seen it with my own eyes, I would have never believed it… But this was the only way you could have killed them, wasn't it?"

"Kira, listen to me very carefully. Lind L. Tailor, the person you killed was actually a _prisoner_ sentenced to be executed at this time today… Not _me_…"

Light stood in horrified revelation. He could not process anything at all.

_W-what?_

"He was a top criminal imprisoned in ultimate secrecy, without any media attention. Turns out that even you didn't know he existed," the voice sounded horribly amused at his words.

Ryuk chortled noisily behind Light. "Heh, you got there…"

Light could not believe any of this is happening. _T-that bastard!_

Then the metallic voice of L rang through the television.

"But I, L, am real!"

"SO, WHY DON'T YOU KILL ME NOW?"

Light's face turned to a violent shade of red. _Y-you son of a…_

Back in the NPA office, L's voice intensified as he continued to taunt Kira. All the cops who are watching the television stood openmouthed and astonished.

"Come on! Do it!"

"Kill me now!"

"What's taking so long?"

"Can't you do it?"

"Kill me!"

"Kill me!!"

"KILL ME!"

Matsuda listened with a mixture of admiration and fright. "Do you have a death wish or something, L?"

The huge Panasonic billboard television was stationed on the façade of Kantou's biggest shopping mall. And there, people shopping, crossing the street, or just plain walking were witnesses to the huge showdown between Kira and L. Even L's booming voice cannot drown the mixed shouts of Kantou's citizens.

"What's going on?"

"It's Kira against L—"

"Whoa, the savior Kira is real, after all!"

"My God, a murder on live television!"

"Who the fuck is this L? Never heard of—"

"I've heard of him! He's the world's greatest detective!"

"Do you think he can catch—?"

"No way!"

L's voice spoke once more. "It seems that you can't kill me after all… That's good."

Ryuk looked more pleased now. "Sounds like L' pretty relieved to know that, huh?" he laughed loudly.

Bubbling anger rose upon Light at every words L was speaking. He fell silent.

"So there are people you can't kill, thanks for the hint," L said in a delighted tone. "So, let me tell you something in return."

"I think that the reporter out there mentioned that this was a live worldwide broadcast… But it's definitely not," L said, making Light even more confused. He listened intently now.

"I'll have you know that this is really being shown _only_ in the Kantou region of Japan," L paused, letting another revelation to sink in.

"I was planning on doing this broadcast region by region, but now I guess I got lucky… _You_ are currently in Kantou, Japan," L declared.

"Whoa, that L guy's really smart!" Ryuk exclaimed as he glanced at Light.

The revelations Light were hearing felt like white-hot daggers pricking his insides. He felt horribly weak, but furious. _Just who really is this L?_

"The police might have missed this one, but I know that your first victim was the Shinjuku street slasher in Hanka," L said. "This guy was currently staging a hostage crisis in a school when he tasted the first 'Kira heart attack'. Compared to all the other criminals who died of a heart attack, this guy's case seems insignificant, so the cops overlooked it."

Grisly details flooded Light's mind. _Otoharada Korou… That guy… I can't believe L discovered that!_ He thought angrily.

"And only the Japanese media reported the incident…" L added. "That was the only clue that I needed…" he paused.

"…to know that you, Kira, is in Japan and that man was a test of your power!"

L chuckled, talking faster now. "I got lucky, casting my first net out on Japan's largest populated region… I really didn't expect that my plan would go so well… I think it'll not be hard for me to catch you immediately…"

The Japanese policemen watched in awe at what they had just seen on television.

"Now that's the L that I know!" a cop shouted.

Matsuda looked at the chief and said in wonder, "that L uncovered a lot from Kira in just one television broadcast!"

"Yes," the chief agreed. "He has proven that Kira exists, that the heart attacks were murders, and that Kira's location is here in Kantou, Japan."

"As expected from L, I guess," the chief added.

"Kira, I am very interested to know how you kill many people without even being nearby… But I'll guess I'll figure it out…" L paused.

"…When I catch you personally… I will hunt you down and destroy you. I am…"

"Justice!"

At that moment, the letter L dominating every television screen of Kantou disappeared with its words. L was gone.

Light stood, appalled and livid. He ran his right hand through his forehead. He seemed to radiate with a freezing aura. His eyes were beyond normal.

"C-catch me… Personally, you say?" he seethed through clenched teeth.

Ryuk looked awfully cheerful. He seemed to enjoy the showdown he had just seen.

"Each of you is searching for an opponent whose identity is unknown," he said with pleasure. "And the first to be found out will surely die! I'll be looking forward to the end of this! Humans are so interesting!"

Light looked at him, and he finally smiled.

"That's right Ryuk… This can be fun…" then his poise changed again. He looked as though he was about to battle a mortal, dangerous enemy.

"Alright, L… I gladly accept your challenge! I will track you down and find out your real name… I will definitely kill you with my Death Note…"

He held the Death Note close and caressed it with his palms.

"I am… Justice…"


End file.
